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AHRQ off-label drug use report

The AHRQ Effective Healthcare Program has released a final research report on "Developing Evidence-Based Research Priorities for Off-Label Drug Use." The report finds that more than 20% of outpatient prescriptions are for off-label use and identifies 14 top-priority drugs that are commonly used for off-label indications with inadequate supporting evidence. The report recommends that future research into off-label drug use focus on drugs used frequently without such evidence, particularly if further concerns are raised by known safety issues, high drug cost, recent market entry, and extensive marketing. Additional research is especially needed in the area of antipsychotic and antidepressant medication. Top priority drugs were quetiapine, warfarin, escitalopram, risperidone, montelukast, bupropion, sertraline, venlafaxine, celecoxib, lisinopril, duloxetine, trazodone, olanzapine, and epoetin alfa.